Page 135 - Wisdom Unfurled

interpretation for Prana viz., Prana is not the physical breath alone and it should mean in the human context ‘thought’. This thought is that which is common between him and the Ultimate and this feature distinguishes man in the whole scheme of creation. The prana is in a state of equanimity and a state of balance whenever it is dwelling on the thoughts of the origin or the base. When due to circumstances it gets attached to anything other than the origin, it tries to get out of the clutches of such extraneous matter giving rise to the awareness of ‘thoughts’ in the human mind. Our mind becomes aware of the thoughts because the mind itself is rejecting such matter which is foreign to its own original nature. With this profound insight regarding the nature of Prana and the origin of thoughts in our minds it becomes a lot easier to practice yoga which is all about the control and utilization of thoughts.
Now pranayama gets a new meaning i.e., the capacity for holding thought for a period rather than the breath and such a view helps very much in understanding the true nature of Pranahutiand how it is offered. The new meaning offered by Revered. Master to prana instead of its traditional meaning of physical breath is one of the major modifications to the system of the old ashtangayoga.
Pratyahara
The step preceding dhyana or meditation in the Patanjali system is pratyahara which means literally alternate food. It refers to the effort to be put in by the aspirant to withdraw the mind going behind the senses and make it dwell on the object of meditation which is divinity represented in some manner. However the undisciplined senses keep running after their food or vishaya- vishayanstheshu gocharan as in the kathopanishad (1.3.4) where the indriyas or the senses have been compared to the horses and the vishayas or the sense objects are compared to the pastures grazed by the horses. The Lord Himself has made the senses look outward-paranchikhani vyathrunath swayambhu (katha-2.1.1); perhaps the divine dispensation is that the purusha, here the incarnated soul, should have all the experiences and enjoyments he can get out of nature through the senses so that he can come to the conclusion as to the imperfect and transitory nature of worldly enjoyments and seek that lasting happiness which is beyond the reach of the senses within himself.
It has been said in Patanjali yoga that, when the mind or senses go outward to sensual and other objects they should be supplied with adequate objects of purity which will counteract this outward movement (vitarkabadhane pratipakshabhavanam II 33). Pratipaksha means here Pratyahara-granting contrary food which is much sweeter and in tradition it has been advised that mouth must praise God, the hands must adorn God and the eyes must behold the beauty of God and so on (Ref. CW KCV V3-p 337). However this is a